WC 2003 - I~~ll not rule out Kenya reaching the final: Bacher

Durban: World Cup organising chief Ali Bacher on Sunday threw his weight behind surprise semi-finalists Kenya saying he did not exclude the giant killers from race of contenders for the final. Kenya has beaten no less than three regular Test nations in this World Cup - not to mention their spirited performance against Australia on Saturday. "It's a great achievement, not just for Kenyan cricket, but for African cricket to have them in the semi-final especially when you consider that indigenous African players make up more than three quarters of the team. It speaks a lotabout Africa's potential in cricket," Bacher said. "I would not entirely exclude Kenya from the final," he added. Bacher, one of the members of the development committee of the International Cricket Council (ICC), had played a big role in 1997 to give Kenya One-day international status. Bacher, however, warned that the success of the Kenyan team would go to waste if the Kenya Cricket Association (KCA) does not get support from the ICC and other big cricket nations to help build a cricket infrastructure and develop new players. Bacher urged ICC to provide Kenya with better support and not to get dragged into too many side issues. PTI